Baths are commonly considered a place where infection and cross/auto infection occur. During bathing, bacteria counts rise due to the various germs the person (the bather) brings to the bathtub which contaminates the bath water during the time of the bath. For example, urine and fecal material brought into the bathtub from the person contain over one hundred potential viruses. Furthermore, the bacteria could be incubated by additives in the bath water and the bath water being at "incubator" temperatures. Additionally, bacteria from the hands of a worker bathing the person may also enter into the bath water.
Bacteria enter the bath water, where they are commonly transmitted to the bather or person assisting the bather, through cuts, sores, or scrapes on the skin, the water contacting the eyes, nose, mucous membranes, or aspiration into the lungs. The increased exposure to bacteria increases potential exposure of the bather and the person assisting with the bathing to urinary tract infections, staff, strep, influenza or other diseases.
Currently, harmful and potentially dangerous chemicals such as chlorine and BETADINE.RTM. are available to protect bathers against bacteria in the bath water. These chemicals are caustic to the skin and prolonged exposure to them can cause skin irritations such as dermatitis. Additionally, chemically disinfecting the bathtub prior to filling it with water has been shown to be of little utility. This was detailed in a 1985 study by the Medical College of Pennsylvania, where water samples taken after a patient bath showed a 500,000 fold increase in bacteria count when compared to a sample from the fresh water placed into the tub, which was chemically disinfected before the bath.